Iraqi PM-designate Zaidi to present cabinet next week in parliament

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi on Thursday submitted his government agenda to Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbousi and is set to present his cabinet to the Iraqi parliament next week.

Halbousi received “the ministerial program from the Prime Minister-designate and directed that it be distributed to all members of Parliament for their review and consideration of its details,” according to a statement from the speaker’s media office.

The statement added that Speaker Halbousi “affirmed Parliament’s readiness to set a date for the upcoming session to vote on the ministerial program and the cabinet once the names are received from the Prime Minister-designate.”

After prolonged political wrangling, Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework - the largest bloc in parliament - late last month named Zaidi as its candidate for prime minister, a post traditionally held by a Shiite.

Zaidi’s nomination came after State of Law Coalition leader and former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki and incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani both sought the position. In January, the Shiite bloc nominated Maliki, but US President Trump strongly opposed his return to power, calling the move a “very bad decision” and warning that Washington would “no longer help Iraq” if he were selected.

On April 11, parliament elected Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) nominee Amedi as president. Under Iraq’s constitution, once sworn in, the president has up to 15 days to task the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc with forming a government.

Updated at 7:07pm